Window squeegees



Dec. 19, 1961 F. s. solTo 3,013,290

wINDow sQUEEGEEs Filed March 25, 1960 r j, ..Z/l// l United StatesPatent C) 3,013,290 WINDOW SQUEEGEES Frank S. Soito, 3039 Coolidge Ave.,Oakland, Calif. Filed Mar. 25, 1960, Ser. No. 17,625 1 Claim. (Cl.15-245) This invention relates to improvements in means for dryingwindows and provides an improvement in window squeegees, or windowwipers as they are sometimes referred to, in which it is unnecessary toremove the squeegee blade from the back or holder for reversal when oneedge of the blade becomes worn or damaged, and also provides a squeegeewhich can be used in either direction of operation, making it possibleto clear lower portions of windows which are obstructed by llower boxes,ornamental grids or the like, through respective draw or pull and pushoperations, and which cannot be accomplished with the conventionalsqueegee and with which even a broad window ledge interferes witheilicient drying of the lower portion of a window.

Another important feature of this invention exists in the improvedlocking means for securing the blade in the holder and which moreeffectively secures the blade, but is also easier to insert and remove,and which also includes a partial ange which preferably engages in arecess in the end of the holder so as to make the back and ends of thesqueegee unit flush, devoid of any projections.

The objects and advantages of the invention are as follows:

First, to provide a squeegee or window wiper with a back or blade holderwith lips of equal extension to permit inversion of the squeegee at willfor pull and push operations.

Second, to provide a squeegee as outlined in which the lips arerelatively short to avoid contact thereof with the window glass and thusavoid scratching or marring the glass.

Third, to provide a squeegee as outlined which requires only removal ofthe squeegee unit from thehandle and reinsertion of the follow end inthe handle for conventional use of the relatively unusedV or little usededge of the squeegee blade.

Fourth, to provide end locking means for the blade and which is easilyand quickly inserted and removed for replacement of blades.

Fifth, tol provide a squeegee as outlined which has greater resiliencyresulting in more eliicient. wiping of windows and which is economicalto manufacture.

In describing the invention reference will be had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the invention shown in a conventionaldraw or pull operation and indicating the elect of obstructions at thelower end of a window.

FIG. 2 is another front elevation with the squeegee inverted and pushoperated to clear the window to the bottom when there are obstacles toprevent conventional use.

FIG. 3 is a transverse section through the invention showing the lips ofequal projection, enlarged.

FIG. 4 is an end view of the invention showing the improved lockingmeans for the wiper blade.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged view partly shown in section toillustrate the locking means.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the locking means.

FIG. 7 is an end elevation of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 illustrates the conventional squeegee in which the upper lip islonger than the lower when used in the same manner shown in FIG. 2 andwith the glass subject to scratch by lthe extended lip.

In describing the invention reference will first be had to FIG. 8 whichshows the conventional squeegee in which the top lip 10 is considerablylonger than the lower lip 11. Consequently, if the squeegee is to beused as illustrated in FIG. 2, the tendency of the rubber blade 12 is todeflect downwardly in View of the lack of restriction by the lowerblade, consequently this type is suitable only for a draw operation asillustrated in FIG. l. If it were desired to arrange this type for apush operation, it would be necessary to remove the unit from the handle13 and reverse it, and which would be impractical. Furthermore, withthis type of squeegee unit, if the rubber blade is to be removed topresent the unused edge, the blade holder must first be removed from thehandle, the locking member removed from one end of the holder, therubber blade pulled out, reversed, and reinserted, and the lockingmembers replaced.

My invention overcomes these difficulties and impractical features andprovides a squeegee unit, the holder 15 of which has the enlarged backfor retaining the blade, but has relatively short lips 16 and 17 ofsubstantially equal projection, substantially equal to the radius of thebulbous portion 18, with the blade 19 projecting almost twice thedistance from the edges of the lips which therefore cannotl possiblyengage the glass of the window. The blade can be thus used in either ofthe positions shown in FIGS. l and 2 without removal from the handle orholder, being interchangeable at will and always ready, it never beingnecessary to make any changes except when the blade is to be replaced.

For reversing the blade to present the unused edge for conventional drawoperations, the unit is merely removed from the handle and reversed, noremoval of the blade from the holder being necessary.

The locking means consists of an arcuate member 20 which includes anangle of not to exceed degrees to eliminate the conventional binding onthe sides, and only the outer portion includes that angle, the memberbeing tapered to the inner end as indicated at 22, and the front orouter end having a partial ange 23 having a height equal to thethickness of the wall of the holder 15,and the holder having endrecesses at 25 and 26 for reception of these partial flanges to provideflush ends, and engaging elements 27, 2S' are indented to engage in thetop of the bulbous portion of the blade.

As is illustrated in FIG. l, the hand 29 has contacted and been stoppedby the obstruction 30, and even if the blade were operated at rightangles, which would be impossible if the obstruction were relativelyhigh, it would have to be operated from one side, then the other of thewindow 31, with an intermediate portion that could not be finished;however, in such cases it is merely necessary to invert the squeegee asshown in FIG. 2, to inish the operation. Thus this invention isuniversal in its application in connection with the drying of windows.

It will be noted that the handle 13 does not constitute a part of thisinvention, since any suitable handle may be y enlarged upper end and atapered lower end with intervening parallel sides, a blade holder havinga back portion frictionally tting said enlarged upper end for retainingthe blade in the holder and having equally projecting side lipsterminating at the initial point of taper, whereby the squeegee isadaptable for selective push and pull operations on a window at will,locking means for retaining said wiper blade within said blade holdercomprising an arcuate member for each end of the holder and each havingan included angle not to exceed 120 degrees for ease of insertionbetweenthe back of-the holder and the top of the blade, and each havingindents to engage in the top of the blade, the top of said holder beinginwardly recessed at both ends, said arcuate members each having,7 anupstanding ange for engagement in the respective recesses for releasablylocking the blade in the holder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,628,783 Jensen et al. May 17, 1927 1() 2,261,475 Kautenberg Nov. 4,1941 2,905,960 Ward Sept. 29, 1959

